- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
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Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor for food and nutrition, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning.
"Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
Nelson, a St. Paul, Minn., native, is a registered dietitian and has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978. She is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 70 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook" and the New York Times best-seller "The Mayo Clinic Diet."
She's been a contributing author to and reviewer of many other Mayo Clinic books and publications, including "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book," "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook" and the "Mayo Clinic Health Letter." She contributes to the strategic direction of nutrition, healthy eating and healthy recipes content, including creating recipes and menus, preparing and reviewing nutrition content, contributing to the Nutrition-wise blog, and answering nutrition questions.
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Healthy cooking (7)
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Question
When the heat is on, which oil should you use?
Which type of oil should I use for cooking with high heat?
Answer
from Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
The healthiest oils are those that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as vegetable oil and olive oil. These types of fats can help lower your risk of heart disease when used instead of saturated and trans fats.
When it comes to cooking, however, not all oils are created equal. Some oils can handle the heat, and some can't.
An oil's smoke point is the temperature at which it will start to smoke and break down. When cooking oil starts to smoke, it can lose some of its nutritional value and can give food an unpleasant taste.
Oils with high smoke points, such as corn, soybean, peanut and sesame, are good for high-heat frying and stir-frying. Olive, canola and grapeseed oils have moderately high smoke points, making them good for sauteing over medium-high heat.
Oils with low smoke points, such as flaxseed and walnut, are best saved for use in salad dressings and dips.
Next questionE. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
- American Heart Association. Monounsaturated fats. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp. Accessed Dec. 11, 2012.
- American Heart Association. Polyunsaturated fats. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Polyunsaturated-Fats_UCM_301461_Article.jsp. Accessed Dec. 11, 2012.
- Gillman MH. Dietary fat. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 11, 2012.
- American Heart Association. Fats and oils: AHA recommendation. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Fats-and-Oils-AHA-Recommendation_UCM_316375_Article.jsp. Accessed Dec. 11, 2012.
- All about oils. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471509&terms=oils. Accessed Dec. 11, 2012.
- Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. December 12, 2012.
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